Motorcycle Cover

I have a fabulous client, Sarah, who wants to give her husband a motorcycle cover for his cruiser-style motorbike.

A while ago, I would have said this kind of thing is not possible because vinyl covers for boats, barbeques and motorcycle covers typically have a fabric lining underneath.

But this time, I thought that if I could successfully glue some fabric onto the underside, then recycled billboards could be used without scratching or sticking to the item that they are covering.

I did an experiment where I glued an old T-shirt to a section of tarp with Vynabond. It adhered well, so now I am going ahead with the design.

I asked my client for some measurements so I could get the geometry of the cover. I used TouchDraw on the iPad to make a scale model.  With this scale model I can easily determine the length of the outside edge and the angles over the handlebars and seatrest.  (The picture doesn't show the actual model of the client's motorbike, I just put it in for reference.)

I'm going to use some flannel sheets for the fabric lining.

Apples of Gold

Well we did a lot of spring cleaning lately, trying to get real with my craft supplies. So I got rid of a bunch of wool, fabric, and recycled leather. Feels great. This was all stuff I'd like to do but won't get around to any time soon. This process is continuing, so vinyl crafting is on hold at the moment. It was also good for strengthening my "No" muscle, because many folks ask me for concessions when I sell things online. I've taken to adding "no holds, no deliveries, no partial orders, etc.," to my garage sale listings.

What I love about the iPad is that I'm able to work at it while lying down, no paints to mix, no craft area to move when it's time to make dinner. I wish I'd had the iPad when my kids were little -- whenever I had a sewing project or something I'd have to pack everything away so we could use the table and so that the toddlers wouldn't get injured on sewing supplies.

Recently I bought an app called iDough. It has a tricky learning curve, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. It is great for generating 3D objects that one can use in paintings. For a long time I've wanted to illustrate Proverbs 25:11. What brought it to mind was something my husband related to me from his work. How a difficult statement is able to be framed "just so," so that a harsh truth is communicated in a softened way. Now that I had something which makes 3D easier to render, it was time to tackle this subject.

Ammonites and Feathers

Artrage on iPad.

On Artrage, feathers are done with the oil brush. The ammonite was drawn with the ink brush, The undulating septa also with the ink brush but with a large percent of taper. I used the paint bucket fills with varying colours on the different chambers. I used a whitish airbrush to lighten the high parts and a darker airbrush for the lower parts of the shell to make it look 3D. and Lots of layers and experimenting with opacities and blending modes.

It basically started out as an experiment in spirals and then I wondered if I could make a composition out of it. I liked it enough to post it but I'm not sure if it's completely successful. But who cares, I feel like sharing it now. Thanks for viewing, comments appreciated!

I think making art on the iPad allows for a faster learning curve, because of the ability to work in layers, apply blending modes, transforming elements for different compositions, and the ability to back up when something isn't working. I wouldn't have physically painted 10 different studies but I can get the same kind of research done on the iPad. Cool.

iPad Greeting Cards

I'm going to give a set of these to one of my banner suppliers. My iPad paintings are here.

I also thought that I can use the painting tools on the iPad to visualize how a painting might look on a recycled vinyl banner background.

Ipad Case Design, Continued

Here's my completed Ipad case. I used three layers of glued-together coroplast for the frame. I thought the coroplast looked ugly so I wrapped the pieces in vinyl. I used coroplast inserts for the cover and twill tape for the edging. Finally I glued the frame to the inside cover. I have a few new ideas for the next one. I might add a velcro closure to this one.The loop in the spine is for my homemade Ipad stylus.

I realized I had covered up the speakers and other ports when I got a Skype call and we couldn't hear anything. So I'm going to try a design where I keep the various ports exposed.

Ipad case design

Since we got an Ipad at the beginning of summer, it is growing indispensable. I have drawing, cartooning, and svg software on it. I can read articles while lying on my side thanks to the aspect lock, and I listen to bedtime stories from various content suppliers.

I've been looking at Ipad cases that seem to start at $45 and go up from there. I've been waiting for our city's municipal election to score some used coroplast. Thanks to the Wayne Stewart campaign for their generous donation.

The design I'm pursuing has a few layers of coroplast built up to make a snug-fitting frame. Here's my work-in-progress. I'm using Vynabond to built up the layers.

I'm also planning to offer my Ipad cases with a stylus if I can get metal pencil extenders at a reasonable price.

IPad Sketchbook Pro

I've been using my break time to learn how to draw on the Ipad with Sketchbook Pro. Drawings here.